The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, October 23, 1895, Image 1
m ? um
SUB?T KR WATCHMAN, XatmbUohed April, 1850.
"Be Just and Fear not?Let all the Ends thon Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's."
Consolidated Aug. 2,1881.
SUMTER, S. C, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1895.
TBK TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jnne, 1366
New Series-Tol. XT. No 12.
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LOOKS LIKE TEN CENTS
COTTON.
The Phenomenal Else in the
Pnce of the Fleecy Staple.
TL? strength displayed by the boli
side of the cotton market just now is
simply phenomenal. Again and
again the bears bave attacked the
figures with a determination, which
during any other season would have
sent them toppling, and they have
not only been met, but vanquished,
on each occasion. These facts can
only mean that the bulls have a
supreme confidence in the shortness
of the crop* and consequently in ten*
cent cotton before the new year.
One of the biggest bear raids of
the season was expected yesterday,
and it was made, but with very lim
ited success. Nearly everything
favored the shorts, and for an hour
they carried everything their own
way, but at the end of that time the
wonderful endurance and recupera
tive power of the bulls made them
selves manifest. The recovery was
not rapid, but it was slow and sore.
Liverpool broke badly in the morn
ing, decling 5 points before the close,
thus giving a cue to the short inter
ests on this side, which they were
not slow to take and improve The
receipts, too, were not so bullish as
they bave been for several days,
though they still fell 10,000 bales be
low last year's figures.
Later in the day the New Orleans
correspondent of Messrs. Adams
& Co.? wired the exchange that he
was authorized to state that Ne ill's
estimate of the crop was 6,300,000
at a maximum. He added, however,
that in this calculation Neiil had
4>laeed the Texas crop at 1,870,000
bales-, and that he was willing to ad
mit that the latest reports from that
region would seem to make those
figures too large. Taken altogether
the Neill estimate was larger than
many people had supposed it would
be, a~ 1 this fact helped the bearish
movement Possibly the greatest
point in favor of the shorts, however,
was the fact that the rise in prices
during the last three days bad been
too great and too sudden. During
last Saturday January cotton was as
low as 8.9S, while Wednesday it
touched 9,44. 46 points gain in three
working days. The strain was too
great, and few people thought that
euch prices could possibly hold if the
bears made a eudden and determined
rush. January begun to show some
weakness towards the close Wednes
day, going down finally to 9 25. The
opening yesterday was 8 points high
er, and the next call added another,
but there the stampede begun. Every
quotation from Liverpool showed a
drop and New York responded
promptly *This weut^ on util, just
after noon, 9.16 was reached, but
there the recovery begun, and it did
not end until the market closed, with'
January quoted at 9.28, 3 points
above Wednesday's close
A striking feature of the day was
the fact that half the time New Or
leans was higher than New York,
when under normal conditions it
should be 30 points lower. This con
dition was attributable to the well
known fact that New Orleans is not
only very bullish, bot that she is try
ing to maintain a corner in ail the
months up to January She has un
questionably made barrels of money
so fur. bat she is engaged in a mighty
dangerous game just now.
Charleston's receipts were a thou
sand bales short of the figures in
1S94. The total receipts at all the
ports to-day last year were 76,000
balee, and consequently a good big
shortage in the comparative figures
is expected
The feeling at the Exchange to
wards the close was decidedly more
b?llish than in the morning Cau
tious buyers fear another slump, but
the more inveterate bulls expect to
realize to-day on yesterday's pur
chases with good profits. Liverpool
quotations will doubtless have even
more than usual effect With no
change there a few points one way
or the other will cover the fluctua
tions in New York, but if an advance
is reported from England the bullish
fever will try to duplicate Wednee
day's figures One of the "tips"
yesterday said that baying cotton at
21 was like finding money, and even
some of the most reliable houses
acknowledged to feeling bullish at
the same figures, but few old opera
tors feel that buying cotton is the
cinch it was six weeks ago By
judicious "scalping" the bulls expect
to ma?2 a good deal yet, but they
are decidedly inore on the defensive
than they were ten days ago.?News
and Courier, Oct. 18.
Education in the South.
Even in this era of good feeling,
when sectional animosity is nowhere
popular, it is not uncommon for cer
tain influential journals in the North
to make censorious comments on edu
cation in the South. The Southern
people are accused of making too
little effort for the support of public
schools If those who make this ac
cusation really believe it and are
willing to test that belief by com par
ing it with the facts of the situation,
they now have an opportunity to do
so. President Dreher, of Koanoke
college, in a recent address, points
out "some difficulties and encourage
ments" in educational work iu the
Southern States. The first difficulty
is lack of money The South came
out of the war impoverished Most
of her people are engaged in agri
culture, in which money is accumu
lated slowly. Dr Dreher cites the
census of 1890 to show that the six
New England States, with an area of
66,465 square miles, and a popula
tion of 4,700,745, had an assessed
valuation of $3,667.947.695, and the
six Middle States, including Mary
land and the District of Colombia,
with an area of 116 530 square miles
and a population of 14,142,075, had
an assessed vsluation of $7,813,052,
992; while the thirteen Southern
States, not including Missouri, with
an area of 818,065 square miles, and
a population of 17,914,290, had an
assessed valuation of only ?3,731,
097,264 The New England and
Middle States combined, with an
area only two-ninths of that of the
Southern States, and a population
greater by only 928,530, have an as
sessed valuation of real and personal
property more than three times as
large as that of the South
By the application of a little arith
m e tic the president of Roa ok e shows
from this comparative statement that
the rate of taxation which will pro
vide public schools for 10 months of
the year at the North will be suffi
cient to maintain such schools at the
South for only three and a third
months in the year. The assessed
valuation in Massachusetts was three
fifths of that of the thirteen Southern
States. The assessed valuation of
New York was greater than that of
the thirteen Southern States. Penn
sylvania bas an assessed valuation,
seven times that of Kentucky. In
view of these contrasts it may be
well doubted if ihe people of the
North have made a greater effort
than the Southern people to maintain
the public schools
Another difficulty which confronts
the Southerners is the sparseness of
population.
New England has 71 people to the
square mile; the Middle States, 121 ;
the Southern States, 22; Massachu
setts, 278, and Virginia only 41 ; Con
necticut, 154, and Georgia only 31 ;
Pennsylvania, 117, and Alabama only
29 Dr. Dreher states that, as it is
neces3ary to maintain throughout the
vast territory of the South separate
schools for the two races, the forego
ing comparisons, which are based on
the total population, do not fairly rep
res?nt the serious obstacle encount
ered iu maintaining good schools by
reason of the sparseness of popula
tion in the South For instance,
Alabama, with a total population of
1,513,017, has, as we have said, an
average of 25 people to the square
mile; but Alabama has $33,718
white people, or 16 to the equate
mile ; and 679,299 colored people, or
13 to the square mile, making it prac
tically two States, so far as the main
tenance of schools is concerned,
with the exception of the cost of
superintendence.
We do not believe that there is
any people in this or any other
country that has ever made such
sacrifices for education as the men
and women of the South have made
and are making in the support of free
schools. Let their censorious critics
study the facts collected by Presi
dent Dreher and their sense of jus
tice will compel them to bestow
praise where they have been bestow
ing condemnation. ? Washington
Post.
Britisii Missions Destroyed.
London, Oct. 18 ?A dispatch from
Shanghai to a news agency pays that
riots bave broken out i:j C'hangpu in
the southeast part of the Island of
Acioy and the English missioos there
have beer, destroyed. The missionaries
appealed to the mandarines for protec
tion, but those officials refused to inter
fere
Law of the Lawless.
The Mob is the Last Resort in
Hampton County.
Hampton. Oat 17 ? Wm. Blake,
Sr., Jason Blake. Prioce Graves aod
William Frasier were convicted this
evening of the morder of Mr. Raymond
Meares on the 9th of August last. Wm.
Blake. Sr , was recommended to the
mercv of the court, and his sentence
was life imprisonment. The other three
were sentenced to be hanged on the
6fb of December next.
After the prisoners were sentenced it
was evident that there was dissatisfac
tion '? the jury'a recommendation to
tuerof of Wm. Blake, Sr . and some
persoos were heard to say that Blake
would never reach the penitentiary.
The convicted persons, as soon as court
adjourned, about half-past 7 p. roM were
handcuffed and takeu out of the court
room. On their way to the jail, within
a few fee? of the jail, the sheriff and
his constables were overpowered by a
number of men, and Wm. Blake, Sr.,
and William Frasier, who were hand
cuffed together, were forced from the
custody of the constables aod taken
off into the woods. The handcuffs were
unlocked in some way and Frasier was
returned Ls the custody of the jailer.
The crowd, numbering about fifty men,
proceeded to a dense piece of woods
abvjt one-half mile from the court
house and hung Wm. Blake, Sr., with
a plow line, to the limb of a large pine
tree. Several shots were fired into bis
body and the crowd dispersed.
The coroner's jury returned a verdiot
that Wm. Blake, Sr., came to his death
at the hands of parties unknown to the
jury ? The State.
The S. C &Tg Holding Out.
New York, Ost 17.?There was an
other meeting of the representatives of
the aouthero lines at the Hotel Waldorf
to-day for the purpose of making a
supreme and 6nal effort to form the
proposed Southern States freight as
sociation. The sessi od began shortly
before 11 o'clock, and although the
special conference committee had re
ported that it had failed in its efforts
to induce the South Carolina and Geor
gia road as well as the Clyde line to
sign the agreement, the intimation was
made that opposing lines would change
their attitude on certain conditions.
When the representatives assembled
to-day a general sentiment prevailed
that ao association would be formed
before the close of the day . The first
evidftuce of this long desired turn of
affairs was furnished when General
Menacer Scott of the South Carolina
and Georgia railroad addressed the
meeting He delivered a very em
phatic address, in which he outlined
the objections of his company with re
gard to becoming a member of the as
sociation. He caused quite a stir by
announcing that, provided reasonable
guarantees were assured his company
as well as the other companies, would
change their position and join the as
sociation. Mr. Thomas specified the
guarantees he wanted, and the meet
ing proceeded to discuss the proposi
tion.
The Great Memphis Swindle.
Memphis, e , October 19.?De
velopments to-day in the shortage of
A. K. Ward show that his forgeries
will amount to about $300 000. Of
this ?75,000 is held by the local
banks, $40,000 are in New York
city, $12,000 in Chicago and the re
mainder by firms and individuals in
Memphis. Ward enjoyed unlimited
confidence in business and social cir
cles and he secured money on forged
notes from at least a dozen widows
in amounts running from one to fifty
thousand dollars. He also borrowed
the savings of the employees of the
firm of which he was general mana
ger and gave them spurious notes for
it. No one knows what he did with
the money, but there are no traces of
his gambling, speculating or dissipat
ing. The best information to be had
shows that half of this money was
secured within the last six months.
Ward and his wife are en ronte for
British Honduras on the 6teamer
Breakwater.
Roasted Rice.
New Orleans, Oct. 18.?A disas
trous fire occurred here about 6
o'clock this afternoon. All the build
ings fronting the river on the square
between Elysian Fields street and
Esplanade avenue, including Rice
Mill B, formerly known as Persever
ance Rice Mill, was entirely destroy
ed This was one of the finest and
b^st equipped rice mills in the coun
try, having been thoroughly equip
ped with the newest and most im
proved machinery only 18 months
ago.
It is said that there was at least
?10,000 worth of clean rico in the
mill The amount of loss could not |
be stated to-night, but it is possibly |
?300,000, partially covered by in
sarance.
Wrecked Two Homes.
Special to The State.
Gbeenvillk, Oct. 18 ?For a wee*
or more minors bave been io circula
tion that D. F. Bacot, a prominent citi
zen of Greenville, having the confidence
aod respect of the community, had lelt
his family aod gooe away with a young
woman of Colombia, said to be relate !
to him. A careful investigation aod
consultation with close friends of the
family of Bacot proves the truth of thu
rumor.
About three weeks ago be left the
city and at Greenwood, it is stated, he
was joined by a youDg womao?a girl
of only about 16 years of age?who
went north with him over the Seaboor?:
Air Line. Nothing was knowo of bis
movements untii the news reached
Greenville that he was io New York
about to take a steamer for Furope or
Sooth America.
After leaviog Greenwood the story is
shrouded in mystery, as those who
know the facts decline to make them
koown.
Dr. Bacot has beeo a successful
druggist, doing a large wholesale and
retail business, aod has always com
manded the respect of the people of this
city. There is a strong feeling of in
dignation against him which is publicly
expressed as he has brought great sor
row to two homes.
Immigration.
The constitutional convention should
make some provision for a department
of immigration, or should require the
legislature to promote immigratioo.
No better service can be done for the
cause of white supremacy?so freely de
clared by the "dominant element"lo be
in danger?than to secure additional
white popolatioo.
We once bad a department of the
State goveromeot which was charged
with the promotion of immigratioo
aod made some progress io that direc
tion although the times were not aus
picious for bringing settlers into Sooth
Carolina?bat Tillman had that depart
ment abolished, aod since theo we have
had no State agency by which to fos
ter immigratioo.
The cooditioos have changed. Ten
years ago there was felt throughout
the north a profound dis;rust of the
sooth, aod sectional feeling was the
handmaiden of a great political party.
The great wes? was io the flush of its
highest prosperity aod to it streamed
not ooly the foreign immigrants, by
hundreds of thousands yearly, but the
adventurous and the dissatisfied of the
east. In the face of such a migration
it was almost impossible, strive as we
might, to attract my coosiderable im
migration to the south.
Since that time, however, the west
has been peopled by millioos aod its
best publio lands have been exhausted,
its development has been pushed to a
point in advance of its resources ; it do
longer offers homesteads for the taking
and its demand for labor has beeo
glutted; iofiated values have been punc
tured and drought aod panic have set
it backward; tens of thousands of its
people are anxious to get away aod
make a Dew start uDder better coodi
tioos. Sentiment oorth aod west io
regard to the south has cbaoged The
Republican party has practically aband
oned sectionalism as an isisue. The
feeling of amity between the sectioos is
growing apace. Instead of being de
nounced as the citadel of barbarism the
south is gaining respect aod praise aod
its great resources are being exploited
by a formely hostie prese. A move
ment of populatioo from the west to
the south has already set in, and nearly
all the southern States are receiving
immigrants, singly and in colonies, of
the best class.
South Carolina is perhaps the mosj
backward of all the Southern States in
tak?Dg advantage of this tendency, yet
even South Carolina has made a begin
oing, as witness Col. Mike Brown's
western colony in Barn well couoty. If
we cao bot secure election reform,
break through the isolating Chinese
wall which is sought to be built around
us for political ends, and promote a ,
broader spirit of toleration, there is no
reasco why this State should not rival
any of hjer southern sisters in attract
ing a large and wholesome immigra
tion.
The convention should provide for
thin contingency. It should put ihe
State in position to take the fullest ad
vantage 'if this new migration south
ward. We do not need to emphasize
the value of an increase of our white
population on. political, industrial,
financial and social grounds. Immigra
tion of the right sort meaos increased
wealth, new industries, more economic
methods, a greater leavening of intelli
gence and education, a fortified white
majority, higher values for land.-,
larger consumption of agricultural pro
ducts and a dozen other blessings. But
it is not going to come to this Stato
without our seeking it, and we should
make up our minds to seek it and se
cure it.
Wc earnestly urge the convention to
make provision of some sort for this
great aod beneficent work ?The State'
THE CONVENTION.
Working to Protect the
Home and the Sheepfold.
The following summary of Thurs
day and Friday's work of the Con
vention is taken from the special tele
graphic reports of the News and
Courier :
THURSDAY.
The Convention spent practically
the entire day in discussing the
homestead law. The question is
still unsettled, and the promise of de
bate on this important matter is un
limited The fight of the day was
on this clause of the proposed sec
tion : "But after a homestead has
been claimed, set aside and recorded
it shall not be mortgaged, sold or
conveyed except by order of a Court
of record, and the proceeds shall be
invested in another homestead."
Senator Tillman fought hard for an
iron-clad homestead, with no way of
mortgaging when a party was .in
debt without first setting aside a
homestead. Mr. Ho well moved to
strike out the quoted provision, and
he and his allies carried the day by a
vote of 82 to 44. At the night ses
sion amendments proposed by Judge
Fraser and Mr. Ragsdale, further ex
plaining the homestead law and
making it more forcible, were adopt
ed. The all-absorbing homestead as
it now stands, and as it seems would
be adopted, is as follows :
Section 29. The Genera! Assembly
ehall enact such laws as will exempt
from attachment and sale under any
mesne or final process issued from
any Court, to the head of any family
residing in this State a homestead in
land?, whether held in fee or any
lesser estate; not to exceed in value
one thousand dollars, with the yearly
products thereof ; and every head of
a family residing in this State,
whether having a homestead exemp
tion in lands or not, personal propetty
not to exceed in value the sum of
five hundred dollars. The title to the
homestead to be set off and assigned
shall be held absolutely and be for
ever discharged from all debts of said
debtor, then existing or thereafter
contracted, as hereinafter provided :
Provided, that in case any woman
having a separate estate shall be
jmaried to the head of a family who
has not of his own sufficient property
to constitute a homestead, as herein
before provided, said married woman
shall be entitled to a Hl?e exemption
as provided for the head of a family :
Provided, further, there shall not be
an allowance of more than one thou
sand dollars worth of real estate and
more than five hundred dollars worth
of personal property to the husband
and wifp jointly: Provided, that no
property shall be exempted from
attachment, levy or sale for taxes, or
for payment of obligations contracted
jfothe pur chase of said homestead or
the erection of improvements there
on: Provided, further, that the yearly
products of said homestead shall not
be exempt from attachment, levy or
sale for the payment of obligations
contracted in the production of the
same: Provided, further, that no
waiver shall defeat the right of home
stead, except it be by deed or mort
gage and against the mortgage debt,
and no judgement creditor or other
creditor, whose lien does not bind
the homestead, shall have any right
or equity to require a lien which em
braces the homestead and other prop
erty to first exhaust the homestead."
FRIDAY.
The Convention did another day's
hard work. With ?he exception of
six paragraphs the article on finance
and taxation was adopted. Prelimi
nary to undertaking the report of the
committee on finance and taxation
the report on penal and charitable in
stitutions was considered and ordered
engrossed, with the exception of the
clause providing for a board of chari
ties and corrections, which was eli
minated, as the Convention did not
seem disposed to create the new ?ni
ces.
Provision was made that the Gen
eral Assembly might provide for a
graduated tax on incomes. The
greater part of the morning was con
sumed by the dog issue, and the vote
showed conclusively that the dogs
still have their friends Repeated
motions to provide for a tax on dogs
were voted down, and as far as the i
delegates seemed disposed to go was !
to say "the General Assembly may ;
impose a capitation tax upon such
domestic aminals as from their nature >
and habit are destructive of other!
property" The Contention would
not say that this was specially direct- j
Highest cf ail in Leavening Pow
ed agai net dogs. The fight, as dog
fights generally are, was intensely
interesting.
An iron clad section against the
increase of debt was made, and the
Convention cut off any further
bonded indebtedness by counties or
townships in aid of railroads or other
enterprises. The door to all legisla
tive authority to counties and town
ships to issue bonds, except for edu
cational purposes, has been closed
and barred.
The fiscal year was made to com
mence on the 1st of January without
any discussion or division.
State bonds hereafter to be issued
were made to be "payable within not
less than twenty years nor more than
forty." The old clause ignoring
debts contracted for the civil war was
struck out.
The Convention first passed the
Wharton resolution limiting debate
to ten miuutes, but it was loaded
down with amendments and finally
killed.
The corporation report was made
the special order for Thursday, but
will hardly be reached by that time.
Ordered a Mistrial.
The Jury Was Kept Locked
up Without Avail.
At 2:15 yesterday the jury in the
Aughtry murder case ba?i failed to
reach a verdict, as announced in The
State The boars roiled on ; daylight
'came ; then came noon and still there
was no agreement. And there never
was any. The predicted mistrial was
tbe result of the second trial of T. C.
An jhtrv
About noon yesterday tbe jury came
into tbe courtroom aDd announced that
it was a matter of impossibility for
them to agree oo averdict.
Judge Witberspoon sent them back
asking tbem to see ooce more if they
could not reach aD agreement.
Tbe jury then remained out till 2:15
m., when they came in again* Tbe
formeman informed Judge Witberspoon
that there was no hope whatever of an
agreement being reached. There being
nothing else to do Judge Witberspoon
ended tbe trial by ordering a mistrial
to be entered and discharged the jury.
So Aughtry waits till the next term of
court to stand bis trial.
Aogbtry's whole demeanor seemed
changed when the mistrial was ordered,
and tbe careworn contraction of his
brow disappeared. Re seemed to be
much relieved
From what can be ascertained the
jury stood from first to last 5 for cod
viction and 7 for acquittal.
This morning Mrs. Oliver, the wife of
the murdered man. will be arraigned
upon the charge of being au "acces
sory" before the fact to the murder of
her husband. Her trial will not be pro
ceeded with at this term of tbe court,,
however?The State.
The Dispensary Exhibit.
The exhibit of the State dispensary,
which has been in course of prepara
tion for some time, was yesterday after
noon shipped to Atlanta ; it occupied
ooe box car. In the exhibit there is a
case of every class of goods that the
dispensary bottles. There will be no
exhibition of tbe method of bottling,
etc.
State Liquor Commissioner Mixson
will leave for Atlanta oo Moaday to
supervise the placing of the exhibit in
position?The Slate.
Some Hope For Charleston.
New York, Oct. 15.?The new agree
ment fixing the freight rates on tbe
Southern railroads was effected at the
meetiog of to-day of representatives of
all tbe railroads of tbe South aod the
connectiog branches. The meeting was
held at the Hotel Waldorf bthiud closed
doors, and the debate on tbe new agree
ment was continued until late in the
afternoon. Messrs. Scott, of the Geor
gia Railroad ; Clyde, of the Clyde
Steamship Line, and Parsone, of the
South Carolina aod Georgia Railroad,
refused to sign tbe agreement. In tbe
interests of harmony a committee was
appointed to meet the three objectors,
but after a session lasting two hours
the committee had to adjourn,
having accomplished little or noth
ing The committee was com
posed of Samuel Spencer. Hcnrv
Fink. E. St. John, R. G. Irving
and T. IVI. Emerson The committee
reported to the Convention that it would
hold another session to-morrow morn
ing, and the Convention adjourned un
til to morrow at IS a. m
er.?Latest U. S. Gov't Report
EEV PURE